Dongdaemun Design Park & Plaza | Zaha Hadid Architects

Dongdaemun Design Park & Plaza Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects has designed a new park and plaza on the former area where the Dongdeaumun’s baseball and soccer stadium once stood, in Seoul, Korea. The design of the park gradually emerges onto the site, providing an interesting atmosphere where dynamic interior spaces and interstitial spaces can be used.

The park becomes a passage way to specific amenities such a commercial spaces; from an underground mall to plazas, connection to subway lines, as well as historical preservation areas.  The park is seen to be a cultural focal point, a gathering area for the people regardless of their age to engage in social interaction. It also combines both today’s modernism with old cultural traditions and instigate a mutual exchange between many generation, acting as a kind of hub where ideas, technological and creative discussion can be brought about on a daily basis.

Its curvilinear form creates spaces that are revealed in gradual patterns, forming a distinct presence as its metallic exterior illustrates a kind of depth that allows the park to have areas that pop out from urban features. The paneling system presents a smooth facade that portrays an immense level of contrast through the shadows it casts on points of access. It also evokes a sense of scale, possessing a strong yet let light characteristic within its surrounding context. The design process of the park feels as if it has been carefully integrated into the site, a sublime peace that stands out and compliments the pocketed landscape. It also contains areas that draw ones attention and endorses their curiosity by pushing and pulling their senses to a many directions. It demonstrates a new level of interaction that doesn’t particularly focus on futuristic implications, but rather combines and ties with the past to create a public space that is energetic and root by historical significance.

architects: zaha hadid architects

By Amal Dirie

Courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects – photography of Virgile Simon Bertrand